


All I Have

by Officer_Jennie



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Warring States Period (Naruto)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Officer_Jennie/pseuds/Officer_Jennie
Summary: "They had been arguing again."





	All I Have

The night was still, no wind nor rain to break the quiet. His breathing slow, forcefully so, eyes pinched shut as he pressed a cheek into his pillow. Numbers counting off in his thoughts, counting his breaths, his heartbeat, what he could feel at his fingertips.

The meditation wasn’t working.

Footsteps padded down the hallway, pausing behind the shouji. He didn’t have to turn to know who stood outside his room, could feel the _earth-turmoil-sad-upset_. Could feel the heavy hesitation even as the door slid in its bamboo frame, and ground his teeth in irritation at the invasion.

They had been arguing again. Butting heads was nothing new to them, both stubborn willed, set in their ways - but it had gotten worse since their father had fallen, killed in action on what should have been an easy mission.

Hashirama had become unbearable. His trust seemed to have finally snapped, making him refuse to allocate even simple missions to him, using his title to keep any reasonable argument null and void.

It meant Tobirama had to either betray him, betray his clan, or sit in the compound and be useless to them. And no matter how he made his displeasure known, Hashirama refused to see reason.

No doubt he was here to lecture him once more. Not that he would get the satisfaction - tricking Hashirama had always been a simple task, and now would be no different.

It proved a bit more difficult than normal to pretend when his futon dipped, confusion at why his brother was laying down making him want to twitch. But he kept his breathing even, body still and lax, knowing whatever whim had brought him here would soon enough take him away.

“I’m sorry.”

The words were too quiet to have meant to be heard, Hashirama’s voice rough with emotion. Fingers brushed at his hair, only just, not meaning to wake him.

“I know I’m an idiot, I just-” The hitch in his breath made Tobirama’s gut clench, all anger and aggravation draining at the break in his voice.

“You’re all I have left. Don’t know what I’d do without you...”

Tobirama didn’t sleep til well past dawn, well past the time his brother slipped back out of his room, the only sign he’d been there at all being the tear marks left on his pillow - and the ache he’d left in his brother’s chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from anon over on tumblr:  
> "Things you said when you thought I was asleep"


End file.
